Socket



' Nov. 3, 1925. H. A. DOUGLAS SOCKET Filed Oct. 20 '1923 7 M1, M Z

The main Patented Nov. 3, 19.25. y

v1,559,684 oFFlcE.

' HARRY A. DOUGLAS, or BRoNsoN, MrcHIeAN.

socxnr.

Application filed October 20, 1923. Serial No. 669,788.

To /LZZ wh-om t may concern: I

Be it known that I. HARRY A. lloU'GLAs,`

citizen of the United States, residing at Bronson. in the county of Branch and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in` Sockets, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact. description.

My inventionrelates to sockets that are provided to receive circuit connecting plugs and resides in the provision of a device whereby a given socket may be adapted to receive a smaller plug than'that for which it was originally designed.l The invention has for another of its objects the provision of means whereby such a socket mayreceive a plug of different construction from that which is capable of being receivedrby such a socket when unequipped with the device of my invention.

My invention is of particular utility in connection with interiorly threaded sockets of the Edison type, and when the device of `my invention is applied to such a socket.

such device is inclusive of a supplemental socket in threaded engagement with the main socket and equipped with contacts adapted for electrical connection with the contacts inthe main socket and so positioned or related as to be engageable with supplemental contacts upon the plug which is suited to the .supplemental socket.

The invention will be more fully explained in'connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a combined main and supplemental socket structure and a plug receivable in the supplemental socket. Fig. 2 is an end view -of the plug; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified socket structure and a complemental plug which is shown partially in elevation;

and Fig. 5 is an endview of the plug shown in Fig.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures. i

interiorly threadedv metallic socket 1 is of a common construction. It is carried by a mounting base 2, of insulation,

v which may also enclose it, as illustrated.

This mounting base carries 2 binding posts 3 and 4 with which the circuit wires 5 and f 6M are connected. The binding posts are provided with heads 7 and 8 upon their inner ends and arethrea'ded at their outer ends.` These binding posts receive simple clamping .nuts ,9 between which the circuit wires 5 and 6 are held and with the heads 7 and 8' ofthe binding posts to' secure these posts in firm assembly with the mounting base 2. The socket 1 is shown as'having 2 ear formations'lO and 11, ear formation 10 passing into an angular slot f 12 formed in the mounting base vand engaging the 'shoulder in this slot. The ear 11 is clamped between the binding post head 8 and the mounting base. A leaf spring contact 13 has one end clamped between the 7 binding post head 7 and the mounting base,

the other end of this leaf spring contact eX- tending across the axis of the socket and being suiiiciently spaced apart from the mounting base to permit it to be flexed toi ward this base.

The supplemental metallic socket includes a body portion 14 threaded within the main socket 1, this body portion of the supplemental socket carrying a plug receiving mey tallic shell 15 at 'its forward end and p rojectinglwithin the bore of the body portion 14. The shell 15 desirably includes a folded. flange 16 that grips the rim 17 of thebody portion 14.v The shell 15 is preferably 'i co-aXial with the main socket 1. A contacting element is carried by the body vportion 14 ofthe supplemental socket, this-contacting element including a metallic spring b arrel 18 which has a head-19 riveted upon 90 but insulated from the part 14. kIn the construction of Fig. 1,the spring barrel 18 is co-axial with the main and supplemental sockets but in thev construction of Fig. 4 it is placed alongside ofthe axis of the sockets, the 2 structures being adapted for the reception of'dii'erent kinds of plugs, as will later more fully appear. In the structure of Fig. 1 the head of the spring barrel is directly engaged with the portion of the leaf spring contact 13 that extends'across the axis ofthe socket 1.

l In the construction of Fig. 4 the head 19 is electrically continued by means of a contacting element 2O which is clamped in posilos i Y' tion by the head 19 and which extends across the axis of the main and supplementall sockets to be engageable. with the leaf s ring Contactin 13. In the structure of ig.- 1 the metallic body current to the she l 15 and this shell is electrically engaged by the metallic sheath 21' which cooperate 60 ortion 14 serves to convey 110 A of the plug 22 insertable in the shell 15.

The plug 22 Ain the structure of Fig. 1 is provided with a second contact 23 which is engageable with the Contact 24 that is forwardly spring pressed bythe coil spring 25 within the spring barrel 18. As illustrated, shell 15 is smooth or unthreaded upon itsinterior and is formed with one or more bayonet channels v26 capable of re ceiving bayonet pins'27 carried by plug 22, such bayonet pins and channels serving to maintain the plug and supplemental socket in assemblywith the contacts 23 and 24 in firm engagement. The sheath 21 Vin the structure of Fig. 1 is connected with the current conducting spring 28 that extends through the insulating body of said plug to the outer end thereof-beyond which it prozov jects. The contact 23 is in the form of a strip of metal which is yalso continued through the insulating body of the plug 22 and projects beyond the same. The .outer ends` of the strips 23 and 28 are equipped with binding screws 29. and 30 that receive current conductors 31 and 32. A cap 33 is screwed upon the body of the plug 22 and is formed with a hole through which the conductors 31 and 32 pass.v

The structure illustrated in Fig. 4 will now be more particularly referred to. 'The lug 22 of this ligure is unprovided with a met-allic sheath and is therefore equipped with a conductingstrip 34 which takes the place of this metallic sheath. The plug 22 has the contact element 23 which is similar to `the contact ele-ment 23 of the plug 22 and contact 35 which is forwardly which is engageable withk the contact 24 forwardly. pressed by the spring 125..- The contact 34 ofthe plug 22 is enggeable with a ressed by a spring 36 located within a spri g barrel 37 and having a head v38 which is electrically Aconnected with the metallic body portion 14.

The structure shown inl Fig. 1 is a single pple structure,.while the structure shown in ig. 2 is a 'double pole structure.

-. The'device of my invention enables the use of slip-in plugs in conjunction with threaded sockets, according` to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, but to which the invention is not to be limited.

It is obvious that changes maybe made without departing from the spirit of my invention.`

Having thus described my invention l claim as lnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following y i I l. rlvhe cinbinationlwith a metallic socket; offa mounting base of insulation for said socket; two binding posts upon said base; and a leaf sprin contact within said socket securedto said a'se by' one of said binding posts and extending ,across the a 's of said socket which has an 'ear portion ecured-to said base by the other binding post.

2; rlhe combinationwithan interiorly threaded main metallic socket; of a contact 'withinsaid socket; a Supplemental metallic socket screwed into 'the main socket and provided with a v plug receiving metallic shell carried lbyand Awithin the same and formed with a'bayonet-channel inits side; and a contacting .element uponz the supple mental "socket and having one contacting porti-on engaging the aforesaid contact and another contacting portion spring pressed forwardly. j

3. The `combination with `an interiorly threaded main metallic socket; of a contact within said socket; a supplemental metallic socket screwed into the main socket and provided with a plugreceivingmetallic shell carried 'by' and within thesame7 and `formed with a bayonet channel in its side; and a contacting element uponfthe. supplemental socket and `having one contacting portion engaging the aforesaid contact and another contacting portion within the supplemental socket. 'f v In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my Vnaine ,this fourth day` of October A. D., 1923. 

